Will's Elizabeth
by purplediamond7
Summary: Will and Elizabeth discuss Elizabeth's kiss with Jack and other matters... Right after DMC... oneshot...lots of Willabeth!


**Will's Elizabeth**

Declaimer: Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true... Most unfortunately, this is not somewhere over the rainbow... savvy?

A/N: This is written for a challange from an awesome Willabeth site!

Elizabeth sat on the edge of her bed, looking at Will across the room. Why did they have to be put in the same room? Did Tia Dalma think that they were already married?

She didn't want to face Will, didn't want to see him, knowing that she had betrayed him. She wanted to lie down somewhere where it was dark and silent, and think, and think, and think. Maybe cry away her worries and her uneasiness and eventually cry herself to sleep. She didn't want to face the next day either. She didn't want to face anything. She wanted to turn away from the world.

She wanted to be somewhere where the vision of Jack's haunting smirk wouldn't hover in front of her vision. She didn't want to remember his eyes… the way they looked at her in accusation when he realized that she had betrayed him. She wanted to escape the memory of the pressure of Jack's warm lips on hers. She wanted to stop feeling this guilt that seemed to overwhelm her with every heartbeat.

But Will didn't seem to want to talk to her very much. He didn't even ask her how she was. When she came to think of it, he had barely spoken to her since she had left the _Black Pearl_ and Jack… she shuddered. She didn't want to remember what happened there. Will had only spoken to reassure her that he would do anything in his power to find Jack.

Oh, the horrible, tense silence stretching between them! How she wanted to break it, but she didn't have the courage to. What could it mean? Dreadful thought spun around in Elizabeth's head. Had he seen her kissing Jack? Was he thinking that she had betrayed him? Well, she had, but not in that way. Had he seen her chaining Jack to the mast? What must he think of her if he had? These thought seemed to scream at Elizabeth from inside her head and she felt tears rolling down her cheeks, miserable, slow tears.

She looked at Will and wanted his arms around her. She wanted to tell him everything, to pour out her soul to him, to have him tell her that she was still the most precious and wonderful thing in the world. She wanted his comfort, his strength. She wanted Will to kiss her and tell her that none of this was her fault, that she had to do it, because with the memory of Jack's face at the moment she chain closed around his wrist still fresh in her mind, she was powerless to tell herself this.

Will still didn't come near her and didn't say a word to her. He didn't even look at her. She couldn't stand it anymore, but she was too scared to do anything. Finally, she decided that lie down and cry. Will might notice and come over and hold her, and everything would come right. Yes, that was easier than talking to him. It was the first time she hesitated about talking to Will.

Elizabeth fell facedown on the bed and cried. Sobs racked her body, but through her tears, she listened for the sound of Will's feet, and waited for the feeling of his arms around her. But they didn't come. She tilted her head slightly to steal a glance at Will to see if he was at least looking in her direction.

He was pulling off his vest. His shirt was torn and she could see cuts on his back. Elizabeth's heart turned over and then stood still. What had happened to him? She sat up, gulping her tears down, and stared as Will took off his shirt as well to reveal his back fully, covered in crisscrossing, red, still unhealed cuts.

How selfish she had been! She had thought only of herself, of her plight. She had wanted Will's arms around her when she had betrayed him, while he was injured. It had not occurred to her that he might need comforting as much as her. Horror at Will's injuries and love for him drove out her fear. She leapt from the bed and ran over.

"Will, what happened to you!?" she cried.

He spun around, his face flushing slightly in embarrassment.

"I thought you didn't see…" he started, and trailed off.

"What happened?" she asked again.

"It doesn't matter," Will muttered.

"Doesn't matter? You're my fiancé!"

Will looked suddenly angry, but the look of anger passed as quickly as it had come, replaced by a look of resigned sadness.

"Elizabeth, please," he said quietly. "I can endure you telling me that you don't love me anymore, but I cannot endure you playing fast and loose with me like you're doing."

"Fast and loose? What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked.

"I saw what happened between you and Jack on the _Pearl_." Will's voice was almost emotionless as he said it, empty.

"Oh, Will, then you must know that I did it for you, for all of you…"

"I don't know what you mean, Elizabeth. You kissed Jack."

"Will, you don't understand!" Elizabeth cried, frantic to explain. "I kissed him, but I – I also did something else…"

Elizabeth didn't have the courage to say it, how _could_ she say it, but she had to.

"Will, I – I killed him!" Elizabeth cried, her words tumbling out of her mouth in her desperation.

"Killed him?" Will repeated, bemused.

"Yes, I chained him to the mast and left him to the Kraken…" and Elizabeth broke down completely. Will put his arms around her and drew her down onto the bed on his lap. He stroked her hair, and whispered something soothing in her ear. She felt a familiar kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Elizabeth, you saved us all!" Will said, "And you see, there's been no harm done, we'll bring Jack back, I promise. It'll be just the same again. Elizabeth, look at me."

She looked up, blinking large, tearful eyes.

"Elizabeth, I'm proud of what you did for us. You did what none of us managed to do. Jack will understand. Do you think he hasn't done the same thing to people?"

"Oh, Will, I'll never love anybody but you!" was all Elizabeth could say as she leaned her head against his bare chest.

They sat on the edge of the bed for a few moments, Elizabeth in Will's arms.

Elizabeth said, wiping away her last few tears. "Now, tell me what happened to you."

"Something on the _Flying Dutchman_," Will said. He didn't want to explain anything about his painful meeting with his father; he didn't want her to know.

Elizabeth didn't ask any questions, but went downstairs to get water for Will's injuries. When she came back, she sat down behind him and started cleaning the cuts. More tears welled in her eyes at the thought of Will's pain. She knew that he had gone through all of this for her. And she had repaid him by kissing Jack to his doom. But it was alright. Will forgave her. He understood. He always understood.

"Will, please tell me what happened," she asked. "Please, Will, I'm your fiancée, your Elizabeth."

Will was still silent

"Does it have anything to do with your father?" Elizabeth asked.

"How did you know?" Will asked, startled.

"You mentioned him on Isla Cruces. I thought it might be that. Now, tell me."

"There was a mistake. Davy Jones made my father punish me," Will told her, wincing at the memory of the nightmarish night on the _Dutchman_ and at Elizabeth passing her cloth over one of the deepest cuts.

"Poor Will, it must have been horrible,"

Elizabeth finished cleaning Will's injuries, made sure there was no infection, and set the bowl of water down on the floor with a tired yawn. She suddenly felt very tired. Will put his arms around her and drew her onto the bed next to him. She heard him blowing out the solitary candle.

It was so dark. Safe in Will's arms, Elizabeth knew that nothing could hurt her, but she wondered if somewhere, Jack was in the darkness too, not the friendly darkness which surrounded her, but the black darkness of despair and death.

She huddled closer to Will.

"Will, I'm scared," she whispered.

"What are you scared of Elizabeth? Don't be frightened. Nothing can hurt you. I promise. I'll be with you, darling. I'll be there with you every step of the way."

And Elizabeth, falling asleep in his arms, knew that he would.

A/N: Okay, I now cannot believe that I managed to write an entire story without Jack! There must be somethings wrong with me... Anyways, please review! I'll give you imaginary ice cream and imaginary rum!


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